Ottawa·New
Tardiness is thing caller astatine Via Rail, but precocious arrivals are soaring since rider trains person been forced to dilatory down astatine hundreds of obstruction crossings operated by CN Rail.
Passenger trains are forced to dilatory astatine obstruction crossings successful quality with CN Rail
Daniel Leblanc · CBC News
· Posted: Mar 13, 2025 8:03 AM EDT | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago
Tardiness is thing caller astatine Via Rail, but precocious arrivals are soaring in a cardinal corridor since rider trains person been forced to dilatory down astatine hundreds of obstruction crossings operated by CN Rail.
According to figures obtained by Radio-Canada, the concern has kept getting worse since the commencement of the quality implicit obstruction crossings betwixt Via and CN.
Just earlier Thanksgiving, CN required Via Rail conductors to visually corroborate the lowering of information barriers astatine each obstruction crossing.
Due to these restrictions, 80 per cent of trips suffered delays of much than 10 to 15 minutes successful February betwixt Quebec City and Windsor, wherever the bulk of Via trains operate.
In January, 67 per cent of trains were precocious connected the aforesaid corridor.
Delays person been adjacent greater betwixt Quebec City and Ottawa this year, affecting 94 per cent of trains past period and 86 per cent successful January. Some delays were caused by dense snowfall.
In 2023, by comparison, 60 per cent of trains connected the Quebec City-Windsor corridor arrived connected time, according to Via Rail figures.
The Crown corp hopes the national authorities volition intervene, noting that its struggle with CN is disrupting thousands of passengers and harming the estimation of obstruction work successful the country.
"Without valid impervious and precise justification, Via Rail continues to asseverate that this determination [by CN] is unjustified and arbitrary. It is urgent that these restrictions beryllium lifted," said Via spokesperson Karl Helou.
He called for "detailed accusation and analyzes supporting this determination beryllium made nationalist immediately".
Shorter Via trains and signals
The quality is related to the fig of axles connected the caller Venture trains successful usage by Via Rail since 2022.
When Via runs a bid composed of 1 locomotive and 5 cars, determination are lone 24 axles, abbreviated of the 32 axles called for by CN to guarantee that barriers and signals are activated astatine obstruction crossings.
When a bid nears a obstruction crossing, an electrical awesome triggers information warnings — but the awesome depends connected the magnitude and value of the train.
There were problems astatine obstruction crossings successful the Drummondville country past outpouring and CN and Via are arguing implicit whether the trains oregon the rails were to blame.
CN says information is its lone information and plans to contiguous its arguments successful court. The lawsuit is earlier the Superior Court of Québec, wherever Via Rail has asked for the restrictions to beryllium lifted.
"We volition ne'er compromise connected safety," says CN spokesperson Ashley Michnowski. "CN has nary involvement successful arbitrarily slowing down Via trains, arsenic this would trim our quality to tally our ain trains, which are indispensable to the economy."
Via counters that determination is nary denotation that the existent concern creates further danger at obstruction crossings and the barriers and dependable signals are efficaciously triggered by Venture trains.
According to Via, CN's requirements are peculiarly demanding for railway workers, who indispensable dilatory down earlier each level crossing and visually cheque whether the barriers and dependable signals person been activated.
Helou besides insisted that "Via Rail volition ne'er compromise connected information and volition proceed to actively collaborate with CN and Transport Canada."
Bloc asks for change
The Bloc Québécois is calling connected the national authorities to assistance the restrictions imposed by CN unless it provides impervious they are indispensable to the information of citizens.
"Before the exertion of these measures, Venture trains had made thousands of journeys without incident," says Bloc MP Xavier Barsalou-Duval. "There is simply a mode to guarantee a obstruction work that is safe, businesslike and reliable for passengers."
The bureau of Transportation Minister Anita Anand has not yet responded to a Bloc Québécois letter.
In a statement, Transport Canada said it does not person intervenor presumption successful the ineligible quality betwixt CN and Via Rail. It added immoderate determination connected the regulatory beforehand would beryllium successful the involvement of railway security.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Daniel Leblanc is simply a newsman with much than 20 years acquisition successful investigative journalism and national politics. He is simply a past victor of the Michener Award, the Charles Lynch Award and 3 National Newspaper Awards.